Got to get the round done as fast as possible!!!

18 Apr 2019, 08:38

After being on the job for 3 weeks there seems to be an obsessive culture of doing the round as fast as possible. I have been with 3 different Postie's and all 3 were all about speed...yet, for the most part, we finished 30-40 mins before our contracted finish time and once just after.

One of them, even when we were heading to the final loop, said "Lets do this final loop as quickly as possible"... we had plenty of time in hand, there was no need to rush.... We got back to the depot 40 minutes before our contracted finish time.

What is this obsessive need to finish early, well before your contracted time? do people need to get home to watch Countdown?

Personally, I'd rather do the round in less of a rush and finish closer to my finish time. I don't see the point in breaking your balls to get back 30-40 mins early.

Got to get the round done as fast as possible!!!

18 Apr 2019, 08:46

and I bet none of them used the lwt or had a break , these idiots don't realise what they are doing to there own jobs , and they will be the first to start crying when they are given more work to do , just you do the job right and f**k what they do or say

Got to get the round done as fast as possible!!!

18 Apr 2019, 09:44

worktotime wrote:and I bet none of them used the lwt or had a break , these idiots don't realise what they are doing to there own jobs , and they will be the first to start crying when they are given more work to do , just you do the job right and f**k what they do or say

I don't get it.... one in particular that wants to get back early - he gets back early then does overtime, but surely the overtime doesn't start until his contracted hours end?. It makes no sense. Maybe somehow he's managed to get paid his overtime from the point he gets back to the depot.

Got to get the round done as fast as possible!!!

18 Apr 2019, 14:29

And that my friend, is what's known in the game as 'ghost' Serve your time,keep your nose clean and one day you'll have a nice little number.

Got to get the round done as fast as possible!!!

18 Apr 2019, 14:38

This is all because of a culture of job and finish at Royal Mail in the past. In the last few years there's been more effort by managers to stop this practise. However, as you can see people are still keen to finish early no matter what negative effects it might have on their future job prospects or their long term health.I think some postie's feel cheated if they have to actually work close to their finish time.Also the way overtime tends to work is you get a set amount of hours for doing say half a delivery. So it doesn't really matter how you get it done, as long as you get it done you receive the same amount.

Got to get the round done as fast as possible!!!

18 Apr 2019, 15:17

Yeah, this is the consequence of decades of being able to whizz round as quickly as possible, and then going home early. While still being paid for it.

The mentality has stuck with many people, despite the fact that it's all measured and tracked nowadays. Everybody keeps saying it will eventually come back to bite those people in the ass. Yet it hasn't happened in my office. They still do it, they're still sitting at home with their feet up when I'm out working.

With that said, being in a job where you have this sort of inconsistent daily workload, it's quite nice to have the option of going a bit faster (or skipping your break) some days to get off a bit early. I don't think RM needs to be so regimented that nobody can ever leave a minute before their finishing time. Especially when many of us will repay the favour by going over our time during busier periods.

Got to get the round done as fast as possible!!!

18 Apr 2019, 15:19

30 or 40 minutes is nothing really, you wouldn't have time to go back out and doing any extra if it was further than a 5 minute drive away and they tried to send you back out. The fact you say they are rushing to get done that close to finish time says that the rounds are about spot on if they worked at a steady pace. Either that or if they want to drag it out they will probably be able to get stuff took off them like plenty do

Got to get the round done as fast as possible!!!

18 Apr 2019, 15:44

bensonhedge wrote:And that my friend, is what's known in the game as 'ghost' Serve your time,keep your nose clean and one day you'll have a nice little number.

ok, I see. So some Postie's are desperate to get home to watch Countdown and some are desperate to get back to the depot so they can go out and get paid overtime within their contracted hours....so finishing their round early pays for them.

Got to get the round done as fast as possible!!!

18 Apr 2019, 15:50

citypostie wrote:30 or 40 minutes is nothing really, you wouldn't have time to go back out and doing any extra if it was further than a 5 minute drive away and they tried to send you back out. The fact you say they are rushing to get done that close to finish time says that the rounds are about spot on if they worked at a steady pace. Either that or if they want to drag it out they will probably be able to get stuff took off them like plenty do

Are there a lot of Postie's who are happy as Larry to go home early most days, but refuse to work over their contracted hours on busy days?

Got to get the round done as fast as possible!!!

18 Apr 2019, 16:24

norris9 wrote:Are there a lot of Postie's who are happy as Larry to go home early most days, but refuse to work over their contracted hours on busy days?

of course, and Royal Mail cant "bank" hours meaning if you do go home early one day the managers cant officially tell you to stay out longer on the busier day to make up for it.

Got to get the round done as fast as possible!!!

18 Apr 2019, 16:36

No point rushing round in our office unless you want to do everyone's D2D's when you get back.

Got to get the round done as fast as possible!!!

18 Apr 2019, 16:40

deristrong wrote:No point rushing round in our office unless you want to do everyone's D2D's when you get back.

This shouldn’t be happening as it’s the following days workload

Got to get the round done as fast as possible!!!

18 Apr 2019, 16:41

actually its a reasonable request and a good way to attempt to reduce wasted man hours.

Got to get the round done as fast as possible!!!

18 Apr 2019, 19:16

And we wonder why this job is a mess,with this going on we haven’t a hopevin hell in getting things right and fair.

Got to get the round done as fast as possible!!!

18 Apr 2019, 19:41

The standard in my office if you finish your walk early is do a column of d2ds on a frame and you can go home. This would only apply to a walk that has no cover for whatever reason or a very heavy workload.Most people comply.

Got to get the round done as fast as possible!!!

18 Apr 2019, 20:04

Most staff who work in delivery offices are stupid and no matter how many times they are told to do the job properly, they simply won't do it. So basically f**k the partner you are working with and you do the job properly, take your breaks, use equipment etc. and you'll be fine, the others will eventually get more work.

Got to get the round done as fast as possible!!!

18 Apr 2019, 20:42

Even with the threat of 100's of new houses about to be built on their duties we still have guys rushing out and running round to get back an hour early. Carry on.

Got to get the round done as fast as possible!!!

18 Apr 2019, 23:01

It's a mindset that cannot be defeated I'm afraid.

Got to get the round done as fast as possible!!!

19 Apr 2019, 08:59

Phantom wrote:Most staff who work in delivery offices are stupid and no matter how many times they are told to do the job properly, they simply won't do it. So basically f**k the partner you are working with and you do the job properly, take your breaks, use equipment etc. and you'll be fine, the others will eventually get more work.

Do these Postie's expect you to instantly be as quick as them when they know the route and you don't. Do these Postie's think that the amount of letters and parcels is exactly the same for the pair of you. Do these Postie's think that people answer their doors in the exact same amount of time. Do these Postie's think that the amount of customers that aren't in is the same. Do these Postie's not realise that some people do not need to rush in order to go home early to watch Countdown. And further to all this - I would not be surprised if this Postie takes shortcuts like signing for customers or selecting 'delivered' when leaving in a safe place, instead of taking a photo etc.

If we are getting back to the depot close to our contracted finish time or earlier and you criticise my speed - you can suck on my balls. The only time I will take criticism from someone about speed is if after several days/weeks on a job I am regularly the last one back to the van and we are always finishing 5 minutes+ past our contracted finish time.

Last edited by norris9 on 19 Apr 2019, 15:57, edited 1 time in total.

Got to get the round done as fast as possible!!!

19 Apr 2019, 14:41

norris9 wrote:I would not be surprised if this Postie takes shortcuts like signing for customers or selecting 'delivered' when leaving in a safe place, instead of taking a photo etc.

They shouldn't be doing that with Signed Fors (unless it's one of those special Queen's letters whereby we're obliged to sign on the customer's behalf if they're not home). With Signed Fors, some of the posties I pair up with will sign on behalf of an absent customer if they know them well enough. I would still never do it, and nor do I allow a neighbor to sign for it either. (Some neighbors call out: "Do you want me to sign for it?"). Just slip a card through the letterbox and continue on.

I've raised the matter with various partners on the duties I've been assigned to regarding signing customers deliveries. Oftentimes it leads to a dispute, but they soon shut up when I say, "Well, we'll see what the line manager says when we return to the office."